Essential - the phone company led by Android co-founder Andy Rubin - has had some difficulty in getting a stable 8.0 Oreo update released. After three beta releases, the company is not quite satisfied that the update is ready for general release. Because of these protracted issues, Essential has announced plans to skip the 8.0 release entirely in favor of 8.1, which will "push the public release back a couple weeks," according to the company.

Not even a phone with close to stock Android, built by the very same person who developed Android in the first place, can be updated to a newer Android release without delays, stability issues, and general problems - to the point where they're skipping a version altogether.

My main reason for still using my Z30 is features it has that the other devices do not as well.

There are literally 4 android apps I need that help with my day to day as an IT contractor.

Most apps did work on my Z30 but were sluggish.

So it was well worth it to my mental health to get an LTE tablet just to fill my android needs.

I still get a good laugh when my Z30 works in places that others have said "oh, cell phones don't work in here"

Almost the same story here. The longer you keep an old device the more you get used to its features. I always miss the camera-button when someone asks me to take a picture of them or needs a charger at the end of every day (I charge my phone once per 3 days or so). I also have an ancient iPad 2 (not air) that closes the app-gap. And I also have good cellular and wifi where other people don't. That last one intrigues me because other peoples connectivity is faster when it works, but works far less often.